Planetary Groups in the North West of England

Lancaster University

Our Space and Planetary Physics group works within the Physics Department at Lancaster University and is comprised of seven academics, Chris Arridge, Sarah Badman, Adrian Grocott, Licia Ray, Jim Wild, Farideh Honary (emeritus), and Mike Kosch (currently at South African National Space Agency). It also includes five postdoctoral researches and eight Ph.D. students. We investigate the fundamental physics that dictates the interaction between planets and their surrounding environment, from the solar wind down to the planetary surface, using data from missions (e.g. Cassini, Juno, Galileo, Cluster), Earth-based instruments (e.g. Hubble Space Telescope, SuperDARN), theory, and state-of-the-art numerical models. Our research covers most planets in the Solar System, with applications for industry, exoplanets, and future mission design and development.

University of Manchester

Based in the School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, our planetary science research aims to understand the chemical and physical evolution of the Earth, planets and minor bodies of the Solar System, particularly by reading the record preserved in their isotopic and chemical compositions. We undertake laboratory analysis of terrestrial rocks, gases and fluids, and extraterrestrial material, including samples from the Moon, Mars, asteroids, comets and the interplanetary and interstellar medium. We are also involved in planetary mission science planning and data analysis, and study surface processes of planetary bodies using remote-sensing datasets.This comparative planetology approach allows us to better understand the formation and differentiation of planets, and their modification by magmatism, impact bombardment, climatic processes and sedimentation. In total this knowledge provides an understanding of the conditions for life in the universe, and a better understanding of our own origins on Earth.

To support this we develop new and more analytical techniques. Recent technical innovations include resonance ionization mass spectrometers for ultra-high sensitivity xenon and krypton isotopic determinations and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometers for multi-element and molecular isotopic analysis at exceptionally high spatial resolution.